Springboks won't give an inch as Ireland search for redemption

Their tacklers will need to be encouraged to release, and their quickness in manoeuvring themselves over the ball, notably Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen, is sure to test Ireland’s continuity.

So, as Les Kiss acknowledged yesterday, while it’s one thing knowing what the Boks might do, it’s another thing stopping them. Ireland’s accuracy will be tested everywhere, especially in their basics, and this includes restarts.

In the absence of Seán O’Brien and Ferris, and now all the more so with the loss of Paul O’Connell, it really is a day for new heroes; the likes of Cian Healy and Richardt Strauss, Mike McCarthy in the secondrow and Peter O’Mahony, whose switch to blindside ought to ensure more carries.

You sense there’s a big performance coming from Ireland, that they will draw a line in the sand early on to match the Boks physically and at the breakdown.

But, ultimately, Ireland are going to have to outsmart rather than outmuscle the Boks.

Clearly, with the selection of Simon Zebo’s big left boot, along with his running attributes, Ireland will seek to avoid playing too much rugby in their own half.

But it will be by selectively going wide and using the footwork and pace of Keith Earls, along with the ballast and strength of the outside three, that they might find chinks in South Africa’s armour out wide.

Though more battle-hardened, this South African side have achieved little north of Namibia to date, drawing in Argentina and losing to Australia and New Zealand. Ireland have a real shot, it’s just that South Africa are more acquainted with the high intensity this game is liable to be played at, and Ireland are just that little less equipped to cope than they would have been with O’Connell, Ferris and O’Brien in their ranks.

HOW THEY LINE OUT

South Africa

Zane Kirchner (Bulls)

J P Pietersen (Sharks)

J acoTaute (Lions)

J ean de Villiers (W Province, c),

Francois Hougaard (Bulls)

Pat Lambie (Sharks)

Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)

Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)

Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs)

J annie du Plessis (Sharks)

Eben Etzebeth (W Province)

Juandre Kruger (Bulls)

Francois Louw (Bath)

Willem Alberts (Sharks)

Duane Vermeulen (W Province)

Replacements: S Brits (Saracens), C J van der Linde (Lions), P Cilliers (Lions), F van der Merwe (Bulls), M Coetzee (Sharks), M Steyn (Bulls), J de Jongh (W Province), L Mvovo (Sharks.) 

Ireland

(Munster) Simon Zebo

(Ulster) Tommy Bowe

(Munster) Keith Earls

(Leinster) Gordon D’Arcy

(Ulster) Andrew Trimble

(Leinster) Jonathan Sexton

(Munster) Conor Murray

(Leinster) Cian Healy

(Leinster) Richardt Strauss

(Leinster) Mike Ross

(Connacht) Mike McCarthy

(Munster) Donnacha Ryan

(Munster) Peter O’Mahony

(Ulster) Chris Henry

(Leinster, c) Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: S Cronin (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), M Bent (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), I Henderson (Ulster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O’Gara (Munster), F McFadden (Leinster)

Referee: Wayne Barnes(England).

Forecast: South Africa to win.